Improvement in street-cars



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. A. FOSTER.

STREET CAR. No. 185,857. Patented J'an.2, 1877.

\nventor:

g V/ W M N PETERS, PHOTO-UTHUGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D Cv 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. A. FOSTER.

STREET CAR.

Patented Jan. 2, 1877.

\nveni'orz Witnesses 2 Q N. PETE-RS, PHOTU-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON D CUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID A. FOSTER, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT m STREET-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. I 85,857, dated January2, 1877; application filed November 6, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID A. FOSTER, of Richmond, in the county of Wayneand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Railway and Street Cars; and I hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, in which said drawing- Figure 1 is a side view of my improvedcar. Fig. 2 is a plan illustrating the construction of the roof. Fig. 3represents a portion detached, showing the frame of the car-seat, 850.Fig. 4 is an end view of the car. plan of the bottom of the bodyof thecar. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the car-truck.

In the various figures of said drawing similar letters indicate likeparts of the invention.

Iumy construction the body of the car is of an oval or elliptical shape,somewhat narrowed at the bottom, and with the roof inclined upward tothe center, as shown, the several parts of the frame-work being formedand placed together so as to brace each other.

In the drawing referred to, A designates the bottom of the body of thecar, a plan of the same being shown in Fig. 5, which is provided withcleats a, placed edgewise, secured to and radiating from the centerpiece B, the outward ends of said cleats being fastened to the band b atthe outer edge. The bottom A has also fixed thereto the ways 0, formingquarter circles, and placed one at each end, as shown, and thesemicircular ways D, for the purposes hereinafter stated.

A continuous seat is constructed within the car in the following manner:The base-timber E, following the oval shape of the car, supports and hassecured to it the uprights c and the curved braces 01, the latterconnecting with, and resting against, the side postsf at the lowerextremities of said side posts. (See Fig. 3.) The horizontal pieces 9extend from the upper ends of the uprights c to the side posts f, andjoin the same,'being also supported by the braces d, as shown. The saidside posts extend a little way below the horizontal pieces 9, to receivethe outer ends of braces 01, the inner extremities of the latter bearingagainst the uprights c. The side posts f are of suf- Fig. 5 is a ficientheight for the purpose of passengers standing in the car, and theirupper extremities are secured in position by a substantial band ofsuitable material. The window-casings and sash are constructed so thateach sash is made straight without interfering with the elliptical shapeof the car-body, as is shown. A covering formed of thin, narrow strips,of any suitable material, is placed along the braces d, on the outsidethereof. It of wood, the strips are rabbeted on both edges, puttogether, and sealed and made tight with white lead, or any suitablesubstance. The guard-rail G, of wood or metal, is placed above thebraces d, and extends around the car-body, to strengthen the same andform a protection in case of contact with passing vehicles or otherobstructions. The body is sided up far enough above rail G to formpockets to receive the window-sash, having water-table or sashrestsformed at the top.

The seat is formed of small square pieces, laid on the seat-rails g, andceiled in front from the rails g to the floor of the car in the samemanner as the outside. The backs of the seats are formed of narrowstrips, placed against the side postsf, on the inside thereof, andcelled in the same manner. The car-door H slides on the curved rods h,to which the door is loosely coupled, the rods h being made fast to thebody of the car, and the door being grooved on the inside to receive therods h, on which it slides.

The frame of the roof is formed of a number of rafters, extending fromtops of posts f, and inclining upward to a hollow center piece, I, towhich the upper extremities are secured, the said rafters being somewhatextended at the front and rear of the root, to form a hood, F, over eachend of the our. The center piece I has a ventilator placed therein, andmay also be used as a passage for a stove-pipe, a stove being placedwithin the car. A ventilator is also placed under each of the hoods F,for the admission of fresh air. which finds passage through the centerpiece I.

The ways (3 and D, fixed to the bottom of the car-body, support the sameand form bearings on the truck when the car-body is turned to reverseits position, this being effected without changing the position of thetruck. The

ways 0, being fixed, one at each end of the car, with their extremitiesextending beyond the extremities of the semicircular ways D, as shown,are well adapted to the elongated and oval shape of the car, and thesaid ways 0 and D, in conjunction with centerpiece B, socket K, andguards I, serve to hold the carbody steady and greatly facilitate theoperation of turning it, this being usually done by horses. The centerpiece B has a tubular projection, k, which, when the body of the car ison the truck, passes through the seat or socket K, fixed to the truck,thus forming a pivotal connection between the body of the car and thetruck. This connection is secured by a pin or bolt passing through thetubular part k, the said bolt also serving to hold a pulley, 0, withinthe tubular part. The bars L, fixed to the truck, are provided with thelips or guards lat their extremities, within which move the semicircularways D as the body of the car is turned around. A rail, M, is rigidlyattached to the truck at each end thereof, having a notch, m, formed atthe center of the rail. A lever, N, is pivoted to the platform of thecar, and is provided with an elbow, so that it passes in the notch m,where it is held by the spring at, and thus prevents the body of the carfrom turning when the car is running. The said lever N is, by a handmovement, raised from the notch m, when the car-body is turned aroundand, being brought by the movement to the opposite end of the truck,slides on the rail, and is sprung intothe notch therein. A brake isconstructed to operate a shoe against each wheel of the car in thiswise. A rod, 0, crosses the truck underneath the same, being coupledthereto. At or near the center the rod 0 is provided with a short arm,P, which holds a swivel-connection, 'v, with the chain P, which passesup in the tubular center piece B, over the pulley 0, through anaperture, and along the bottom of the car to the brake-shaft R, providedwith the crank 1'. The rod 0 is further constructed with elbows as nearits extremities, which, by means of the rods 8 and: t, connect with ,theshoes'S, the latter being coupled to the bars L of the truck. Thus amovement of the rod 0 operates the shoes 8.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent 1. In the car-body, the bottom provided with the center piece Band cleats a, radiating therefrom, and band b, as and for the purposesdescribed.

2. The bottom of the car, provided with the center piece B and ways 0and D, in combination with the truck-frame, provided with the socket Kand guards l, as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The upright pieces a, curved braces d, and pieces 9, forming theframe of the carseat, and the coiled covering of same, as shown, incombination with the base-timber E and side posts f. as and for thepurposes specified.

4. The car-roof supported by radial bars connecting with the hollowcenter piece [,and supported by side posts f, as shown, for the purposesset forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as above described I havehereunto set my hand and seal this 25th day of October, 1876.

1). A. FOSTER. 1,. s.]

